Melbourne to Darwin route suggestions
Avgas will be easier to get than 98 PULP in a number of those places. Once you're off the highway, I wouldn't assume anything outside of Diesel & 91 ULP and 91 ULP can get dodgy. Note also for some of the places, the number of tanker refills they get per year can be counted on one hand. I'd phone each place you want to get fuel.
Most legs you'll be flying against the prevailing wind, so factor some headwind in your fuel calcs.
Long legs with few or no reporting points are spooky if you haven't done it before. The FTDK route is not bad, but it will not have full VHF coverage. I'd check that too. Once again, its a bit spooky the first couple of times. And the maps aren't completely accurate, for instance there is an area North of Nhill where I lose VHF about 40% of trips. Personally, I'd be packing a sat phone.
Personally, I'd also be adding a day and having more fun.
Most legs you'll be flying against the prevailing wind, so factor some headwind in your fuel calcs.
Long legs with few or no reporting points are spooky if you haven't done it before. The FTDK route is not bad, but it will not have full VHF coverage. I'd check that too. Once again, its a bit spooky the first couple of times. And the maps aren't completely accurate, for instance there is an area North of Nhill where I lose VHF about 40% of trips. Personally, I'd be packing a sat phone.
Personally, I'd also be adding a day and having more fun.
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I've never been out of VHF coverage before unless at low levels. Above what height are comms lost in those areas? Or is it the case that no amount of height will get you comms?
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VH-XXX,
There will be areas where you will be out of VHF range at any altitude below flight levels.
In other areas you will not get VHF under about 5,000' unless within a 100 miles or thereabouts of a ground repeater station, e.g. places like Coober Pedy.
There will be areas where you will be out of VHF range at any altitude below flight levels.
In other areas you will not get VHF under about 5,000' unless within a 100 miles or thereabouts of a ground repeater station, e.g. places like Coober Pedy.
Firstly, FTDK's suggested route traverses some country with no mapped VHF coverage at 10,000 ft on the PCA.
Secondly, at my cruise levels (8 - 10k) there are a number of marginal or nil coverage areas. Once somewhere near Merimubula I had a call on my mobile from ATC wanting me to relay a radio call to a Virgin flight because they couldn't reach either of us on VHF.
Depending on which track I take there is somewhere NW of Nhil where some days I lose VHF comms for a bit. Nearly always on that route, ATC warn me before hand and request an ops normal time, so its clearly known.
Its not a big deal and its typically only 20 min or less of flight time, but in a SE aircraft with no sign of population it gets a little spooky when you're not used to it.
Outback flying is great, but its not Kansas, Dorothy. You need to adjust a bit.
Secondly, at my cruise levels (8 - 10k) there are a number of marginal or nil coverage areas. Once somewhere near Merimubula I had a call on my mobile from ATC wanting me to relay a radio call to a Virgin flight because they couldn't reach either of us on VHF.
Depending on which track I take there is somewhere NW of Nhil where some days I lose VHF comms for a bit. Nearly always on that route, ATC warn me before hand and request an ops normal time, so its clearly known.
Its not a big deal and its typically only 20 min or less of flight time, but in a SE aircraft with no sign of population it gets a little spooky when you're not used to it.
Outback flying is great, but its not Kansas, Dorothy. You need to adjust a bit.
Last edited by Old Akro; 14th Apr 2010 at 08:30.
Forgive me if this is a bit dumb for you.
There are some places that if you go down - even knowing where - it might take a couple of days to get to you. And a bit longer if its in a VHF coverage hole and they wait for an ops normal time to expire.
If I were doing the trip, I'd have: min 10 litres water + bottled water in the cabin. I have a survival kit which I researched & made up some years ago when I started flying to Nth SA regularly. The key bits are first aid, mirror and something like a leatherman. A blue tick Telstra Next G phone is nearly mandatory. We put magnetic base aerials on ours and frequently get 50km coverage from transmitters on the ground. Naturally, I'd have a GPS EPIRB.
I'd take a sat phone, but I have one. The are rentable but I'm not sure where.
For the private / business flying I do, I now consider 5 hours flying per day to be enough. I just don't find it fun after that. Others do longer legs, but by the time you add ground prep, fueling etc and (for me) some inevitable work calls history tells me that I don't like more than about 5 flying hours per day. In the places you are going accommodation is pretty cheap and the hospitality is good. Why not add a day? How many times in your life are you going to do this trip?
There's lots to do. Eat Whiting from the Spencer Gulf at the Augusta Hotel. Have Kangaroo Curry pies at the William Ck hotel. The best Kangaroo steak I've had was at William Ck. The best Salt & pepper squid I've had was at the Eldo at Woomera - go figure! Maybe stay with the John & Sonia Bailey at Wirraminna station (www.wirraminna.com.au). Dinner at Tom & Mary's Greek Cantina at Coober Pedy. Drinking a beer and watching the sunset from the Underground Motel or Lookout Cave in Coober Pedy is a fabulous thing. An Oodnadaburger at the Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta with Adam. Beer with Andrew at Mt Dare. I'm not much for Alice Springs (although the aviation museum at the old airport is interesting), but Curtin Springs station can be a lot of fun (google them). I haven't been to Birdsville in years, but it would be a real sight, as would Innaminka with the Cooper Creek flowing. The Family Hotel at Tibooburra (with the Drysdale murals) is a great place to stay too.
I'm assuming you're flying something like a 4 seat Jabiru based on speed & 98 Octane & reference to pax. Some of this class of aircraft can get pretty high oil temp with extended running in hot ambient. The aeroplane might be happy with the odd break too. And don't forget to pack oil. Long hot bumpy climbs (if it is) always use oil as it gets splashed around the crankcase. Oil can be more difficult to get than Avgas.
The last time I flew back, the 30 kt wind was fully 90 degrees different on the ground than 9,000ft. Flying the wind can change your day.
Because the legs are long, small increases in TAS start to make a difference. Its nice to know where to have the CofG for best cruise. Some aircraft I've flown have maybe a 3kt spread between fwd & aft CofG.
Assuming you will be VFR, I'd go and buy all the maps & cut them to fit. I'd also study the route and get familiar with ridge lines, salt lakes, etc. You almost certainly have a GPS, and while outages are rare, they happen more in this territory because fewer satellites are tasked to be there. I've flown to a couple of stations with GPS coordinates only and its just more comforting to have an expectation that where you are going is consistent with landmarks. There's a lot of time with not much to look at and the mind can do odd things.
There are some places that if you go down - even knowing where - it might take a couple of days to get to you. And a bit longer if its in a VHF coverage hole and they wait for an ops normal time to expire.
If I were doing the trip, I'd have: min 10 litres water + bottled water in the cabin. I have a survival kit which I researched & made up some years ago when I started flying to Nth SA regularly. The key bits are first aid, mirror and something like a leatherman. A blue tick Telstra Next G phone is nearly mandatory. We put magnetic base aerials on ours and frequently get 50km coverage from transmitters on the ground. Naturally, I'd have a GPS EPIRB.
I'd take a sat phone, but I have one. The are rentable but I'm not sure where.
For the private / business flying I do, I now consider 5 hours flying per day to be enough. I just don't find it fun after that. Others do longer legs, but by the time you add ground prep, fueling etc and (for me) some inevitable work calls history tells me that I don't like more than about 5 flying hours per day. In the places you are going accommodation is pretty cheap and the hospitality is good. Why not add a day? How many times in your life are you going to do this trip?
There's lots to do. Eat Whiting from the Spencer Gulf at the Augusta Hotel. Have Kangaroo Curry pies at the William Ck hotel. The best Kangaroo steak I've had was at William Ck. The best Salt & pepper squid I've had was at the Eldo at Woomera - go figure! Maybe stay with the John & Sonia Bailey at Wirraminna station (www.wirraminna.com.au). Dinner at Tom & Mary's Greek Cantina at Coober Pedy. Drinking a beer and watching the sunset from the Underground Motel or Lookout Cave in Coober Pedy is a fabulous thing. An Oodnadaburger at the Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta with Adam. Beer with Andrew at Mt Dare. I'm not much for Alice Springs (although the aviation museum at the old airport is interesting), but Curtin Springs station can be a lot of fun (google them). I haven't been to Birdsville in years, but it would be a real sight, as would Innaminka with the Cooper Creek flowing. The Family Hotel at Tibooburra (with the Drysdale murals) is a great place to stay too.
I'm assuming you're flying something like a 4 seat Jabiru based on speed & 98 Octane & reference to pax. Some of this class of aircraft can get pretty high oil temp with extended running in hot ambient. The aeroplane might be happy with the odd break too. And don't forget to pack oil. Long hot bumpy climbs (if it is) always use oil as it gets splashed around the crankcase. Oil can be more difficult to get than Avgas.
The last time I flew back, the 30 kt wind was fully 90 degrees different on the ground than 9,000ft. Flying the wind can change your day.
Because the legs are long, small increases in TAS start to make a difference. Its nice to know where to have the CofG for best cruise. Some aircraft I've flown have maybe a 3kt spread between fwd & aft CofG.
Assuming you will be VFR, I'd go and buy all the maps & cut them to fit. I'd also study the route and get familiar with ridge lines, salt lakes, etc. You almost certainly have a GPS, and while outages are rare, they happen more in this territory because fewer satellites are tasked to be there. I've flown to a couple of stations with GPS coordinates only and its just more comforting to have an expectation that where you are going is consistent with landmarks. There's a lot of time with not much to look at and the mind can do odd things.
Done that flight a few times over the years, and found this to be the best route;
Day1 Melbourne-Mildura(Fuel and lunch)-Broken Hill
Day2 Broken Hill-Leigh Creek(fuel and lunch)-Alice Springs
Day3 Alice Springs-Tennant Creek(fuel and lunch)-Darwin.
About 18 hours tacho all up.
Take some snacks, water and keep a 10 litre drum of water in case of a forced landing.
Day1 Melbourne-Mildura(Fuel and lunch)-Broken Hill
Day2 Broken Hill-Leigh Creek(fuel and lunch)-Alice Springs
Day3 Alice Springs-Tennant Creek(fuel and lunch)-Darwin.
About 18 hours tacho all up.
Take some snacks, water and keep a 10 litre drum of water in case of a forced landing.
XXX, I recently flew a similar route (MMB, BHI, CBP, AYE, BAS) and never found VHF coverage to be a problem, though would still take food and water with you.
If the owner of the aircraft wants to take the scenic route AYE is well worth a squiz, but will add a couple 100nm to your flight. Fuel is available at AYE.
Also, not all fuel companies have bowsers out there so you'll need a credit card handy.
Hope you have a fantastic flight. Flying out there is an unreal experience.
If the owner of the aircraft wants to take the scenic route AYE is well worth a squiz, but will add a couple 100nm to your flight. Fuel is available at AYE.
Also, not all fuel companies have bowsers out there so you'll need a credit card handy.
Hope you have a fantastic flight. Flying out there is an unreal experience.
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There's lots of good advice there thanks everyone. I'll have to go through it all carefully.
Departure date is either 28th which gives at least 5 days or 8th. I could just leave it to someone else and not worry about the stress however it would be good to see it arrive there safely.
Departure date is either 28th which gives at least 5 days or 8th. I could just leave it to someone else and not worry about the stress however it would be good to see it arrive there safely.
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Doc:
Good way to go, Doc, but the only thing that I would add is that fuel is quite expensive at Birdsville and there are no swipe card facilities; call out only.
Go Broken Hill (383 nm) - Birdsville (383 nm) - Barkly Roadhouse (419 nm) (Check that fuel is available) - Tindal (368 nm) - Darwin (154 nm)
With water, some rations, a space blanket, the GPS ELT and the SAR note, I don't give a rats about VHF coverage. When you do this trip at 1000' or below you see detail the high flyers what not of. And if your fuel allows, come round for another look or cautiously come a bit lower. Praise be, the digital camera.
